Our New Journey
by S. Muffin
Summary: Advanceshipping. "You and I have always been so much alike in that way, constantly on the move in search of our next big journey. Why shouldn't we share that journey with each other?"


**A/N:** To begin, I apologize immensely for the lack of proper oneshots. I've been working painstakingly on this one for the past couple of months, and now it is finally finished and here for your viewing enjoyment

With this oneshot, I wanted to try a few new things stylistically and technically while sticking to some themes I really love: reunions, confessions, and restaurants. Somehow my ideas always lead back to those things. It might not be the most interesting plot, but it was a great writing exercise for sure.

As always, reviews and other methods of feedback would be very much appreciated. It's been a while since I've uploaded something longer than 1-2k words, and I always look forward to hearing from you guys :)

* * *

**Our New Journey**  
By S. Muffin

* * *

Hands fidgeting nervously in his lap, Ash checked his watch for what felt like the millionth time that day. He really hoped that time would decide to work in his favor and, by some grace of luck, suddenly fast-forward an additional five or so minutes, so that May would come walking through the front doors of the restaurant any second now.

Ash himself hadn't _meant_ to arrive at the restaurant they had agreed to meet at for dinner so early. Initially, he had been waiting for enough time to pass back at his hotel room, but that had only made the eighteen-year-old Trainer even more anxious than he was presently, which then caused him to leave much sooner than he planned to. However, now that he had been squirming impatiently alone at his table-for-two for nearly fifteen minutes, he was starting to see the error in his judgment.

On the bright side (though it was, admittedly, a rather dim bright side), at least he now had the menial task of browsing the menu to keep him occupied while he waited for May. With that in mind, he returned his attention back to the menu situated in front of him and began perusing through the long list of pasta dishes. Eggplant parmigiana, home-style lasagna, baked ziti with fresh mozzarella, fettuccine with basil pesto...every single option sounded so promising and delicious, making his mouth water and his empty stomach growl with anticipation. Not only that, but May had been raving about this particular restaurant for weeks now; during their countless vid-phone conversations over the past couple of weeks, she had often referred to it as it the "greatest eating establishment in all of Petalburg City." Naturally, his expectations were set rather high.

Unconsciously, his eyes flickered down towards his watch again.

Beside him, Ash's longtime friend and traveling companion frowned and looked up at him with concern. "Pikapi?"

Ash sighed once he realized what he had done, meeting Pikachu's worried gaze. "Yeah, I know. I did it again...I'm a complete wreck, aren't I?"

The yellow Pokemon nodded once with an affirmative "Chu."

Ash quickly glanced over his shoulder to check the front doors, hoping that May would be standing there searching for him just like he was searching for her. He frowned, though, when he saw that the entryway was just as empty as it had been the last time he looked.

"I just can't help it," he confessed as he turned back around. "Being nervous, I mean. It's been two months since we've seen each other, and ever since then I've been planning on coming here so I could...well, you know."

Pikachu nodded again, this time in understanding.

"I wish I was better at this sort of thing," Ash went on. "Everyone, including May, has always picked on me for it. Not that I have much experience on the topic, but...you don't think she'll laugh at me when I tell her, do you?"

Shaking his head, Pikachu patted Ash on the arm reassuringly, before giving his Trainer a confident thumbs-up. "Pikachu!"

Ash couldn't help but smile at Pikachu's enthusiasm. "Thanks, buddy."

With Pikachu's encouragement, and fully determined to distract himself once and for all, Ash once again busied himself with reading the menu. He simply had to be patient and try to remain as calm as possible until May arrived. Otherwise, he would never be able to do specifically what he traveled all the way to Hoenn to do, an important test of will that he had been debating on doing for months ever since they last saw each other.

He was finally going to tell May he loved her.

Ash breathed in deeply and then exhaled with a loud, shaky _whoosh_. Even admitting such a thing to himself made him more jittery and nervous than anything else could.

Even though the two best friends frequently kept in touch over the years, it was only over the past year that Ash and May developed the habit of visiting each other regularly. The last eight years of his life consisted of a diverse array of adventures that led him all across the world and back multiple times, but now Ash was currently working his way through Johto for the second time, challenging a new set of Gyms that were established a few years after his initial journey through the region. May was also revisiting a region she knew quite well—her native continent of Hoenn. It was her third time doing so, and she was adding five more Contest ribbons to her ever-growing collection in order to once again compete in the Hoenn Grand Festival. Nevertheless, every couple of months they would take turns visiting each other despite the distance between their locations, and during that time they would catch up on each other's lives, reminisce over some of their fondest memories, and simply enjoy each other's company as much as they could before they once again had to go their separate ways.

It was also during that time that Ash realized just how much he really liked spending time with May and May alone.

He wasn't sure of the exact moment he started to look at May differently within that year, but whenever they would see each other Ash was constantly finding himself thinking about her. Throughout their travels together in the Hoenn and Kanto regions as adolescents, they were able to form a very strong friendship, a bond that had been able to stand the test of time even though they were now traveling on separate journeys. Needless to say, if someone were to ask Ash to write a biography on May, he would be able to do so with virtually no problems. Now that they were both young adults, though, and Ash in particular was far more mature than he was at age ten, he began paying closer attention to the things he already knew about May; instead of simply _knowing_ all of these details about her, he developed a true appreciation for them. He could easily go on and on listing off all of the things he admired most about her, like her drive and passion for Contest Coordinating, the love she had for her Pokemon, her friends, and her family, her insatiable appetite, the sound of her laugh, the color of her eyes, the smell of her shampoo or her perfume, her smile, her nervous habits, her determination and dedication towards what she believed in, or how excited she would get over little things.

But it was only two months ago, the last time they saw each other, that Ash realized the feelings he had for May went beyond the kind of _love_ a person generally had for his friends.

Truthfully, it was all very confusing at first. Nearly everyone who had ever crossed paths with Ash knew that romance was _not _a strong point of his. He had always been awkward and oblivious and completely out of his element when it came to love when he was younger, and that fact remained true to the present day. Falling in love was certainly not something he had been expecting, either; it was something that had hit him all at once, at full speed, without any hesitation whatsoever. While he wasn't able to remember the moment he first began to develop feelings for May, he could distinctly recall the exact day he realized he was in love with her.

The very last time he saw her, when he had to watch her board the ferry that would be taking her back to the Hoenn region from Johto, he had been overcome with a feeling of loss, an ache deep in his chest that burned as the large ship finally disappeared into the horizon. Predictably, he had assumed it was just heartburn—the two had, after all, eaten burritos for lunch that day. But after several antacid tablets, a few more hours of persisting "heartburn," and with thoughts of May now racing incessantly through Ash's mind, the pieces slowly came together and everything he had been thinking and feeling suddenly made sense.

Once he understood that he was, in fact, very much in love, the whole situation began to scare him. It was actually pretty humiliating, if he had to be perfectly honest with himself. At the mere age of ten Ash had managed to accomplish many amazing feats of strength, such as saving the world on more than one occasion, befriending handfuls of legendary Pokemon that most people never even had the opportunity to see in their lifetimes, competing in a variety of Pokemon Leagues, and so on. For a kid, his résumé was undoubtedly impressive. Yet here he was now, an eighteen-year-old young man who was mortified at the idea of telling an eighteen-year-old young woman that he loved her.

He just never felt so close to another person before, and there was a huge part of the experience that was positively terrifying. Ash often wondered what would happen if he confessed his feelings to May, but she ultimately rejected him in return. Would they be able to remain friends if that happened? Would there ever be a possibility in which she changed her mind? Would they ever even speak to one another again? Telling May that he loved her was easily one of the scariest things Ash would ever do, which naturally contributed to the reason why he had been on edge throughout the entire day.

Above all, though, as soon as he made his way past the confusing and scary bits and assessed the situation from a positive standpoint, being in love was completely exhilarating. Loving May made Ash's heart beat faster, made the hairs on the back of his neck and on his arms stand on end, and made chills run up and down his spine. Loving May made him strive to be the best person he could be, so that he could be everything she would ever need in a partner and more. Loving May made each and every day brighter and better, made him wake up every morning and go to sleep every night with a smile on his face. No amount of confusion or fear or the nerves he was feeling currently could ever take all of that away from him.

That was why he couldn't hold it all in for another second, because loving May made the possibility of rejection simply worth the risk. He had to tell her—he _had_ to. If he didn't tell her, he was convinced that he would spontaneously explode at any given moment from keeping it pent up inside him for so long.

"Excuse me?"

Ash looked up from the menu with a startled gasp. He had been so distracted that he hadn't even noticed someone approaching the table, and that someone just so happened to sound exactly like a _certain_ someone that he was waiting for, and—

_Oh_, he thought.

It was only the waitress.

"Can I get you anything to drink while you wait for your guest?" she asked pleasantly, seemingly unaware of Ash's current state of shock.

The Trainer blinked several times, wondering if his eyes were playing a trick on him. He could have sworn that it had been May's voice he heard, but the young woman standing beside the table definitely wasn't May.

_I'm going crazy_, he decided.

"Erm, yeah..." Ash briefly glanced back down at the menu, trying his best not to look overly disappointed. "I'll just have an iced tea, please."

"Sweetened or unsweetened?"

"Sweetened," he replied with a slight smile. "Make that two iced teas, actually, one for my friend when she gets here. Thanks."

The waitress nodded as she quickly scribbled his drink order into her notebook, before heading off in the opposite direction.

"Doesn't that figure," Ash muttered once she was out of earshot, lowering his face into his hands with yet another sigh. He did it yet again—got his hopes up for nothing. Maybe he really was starting to go insane, and by the time this was all over he would have to check himself into a hospital for some serious observation.

Pikachu watched Ash with concern, patting him on the arm once again in an attempt to comfort him.

"Thanks, Pikachu," Ash said, his voice muffled by his hands. "I'm glad you're here for me."

"Ash!"

Pikachu's ears twitched at the familiar voice. Curious, he jumped up and peeked over the top of the booth. Could it be...?

His ears perked up again. It was!

"I'm starting to think I'm in way over my head," Ash rambled on, completely oblivious. "Should I even bother?"

"Ash!"

Quickly dropping back down onto the seat, Pikachu turned around towards Ash and began urgently tugging on the Trainer's sleeve. "Pikachu!"

Ash's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, maybe I should just forget about it, huh?"

Pikachu shook his head frantically, pulling even harder on Ash's sleeve. "Pikapi!"

"Um, hellooo?"

Ash's entire body immediately froze at the voice, a voice that practically yanked him right out of his stupor. Was he only imagining things again?

"Hey!"

Taking the risk, Ash lifted his head. When his eyes landed on the familiar face of a brunette, it felt as if his heart leaped straight up, forcefully lodging itself in his windpipe and greatly reducing his ability to breathe properly.

"May...?" he all but squeaked.

"Sheesh, thank you for finally acknowledging my presence!" the Coordinator teased, laughing. "Are you seriously sleeping in a restaurant or are you just ignoring me on purpose?"

This time he was able to hear her loud and clear, but Ash still couldn't completely register what she said in order to form a proper response. Instead, he simply stared at her with amazement, his eyes gradually opening wider and wider as he took in her appearance. Her hair, normally stiff and straight and covered by a bandana, now floated freely around the sides of her face in delicate waves, though it was still parted in its customary two locks with her bangs pushed to the left. Her trademark article of red clothing took the form of a crimson, buttoned-down blouse that appeared to be silky in texture and fit her body to a T. Paired with the blouse was a pair of straight-leg, dark-blue denim pants, held snugly in place with a simple brown belt that complemented a brown purse that was tossed over her shoulder. On her feet, red sandals that matched her shirt completed the outfit and gave the overall look an additional pop of color. It was such a simple outfit, very neat and streamlined, yet she still managed to stand apart from the rest of the restaurant patrons. She looked absolutely beautiful, breathtaking, stunning...try as he might, Ash couldn't find a term that correctly described just how great she looked. He was completely mesmerized with her. Over the years May's taste in fashion had only improved from its already high standards, and the way she was put together so nicely for their get-together now served as proof of that. He stood up slowly, not once taking his eyes off of her.

"Hi," he managed to say, still not trusting himself to form a full, coherent sentence.

May laughed again. "Hi!"

Before Ash could attempt to utter another word, May suddenly flew forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Ash froze again in surprise, but he quickly scrambled to regain his composure and return the hug, not wanting to miss out on an opportunity that was so kindly presenting itself to him.

He pressed his hands against her back and brought her closer, his chin settling atop her head while she nestled comfortably against his chest. It wasn't the first hug they had ever shared, but for a moment he was worried that this time around she would be able to hear the erratic beating of his heart, feel how tense each of his muscles were, or somehow just intuitively sense the trepidation he had. He couldn't remember a time when he had ever been as nervous and high-strung in her presence as he was presently, which, much to his dismay, only caused him to grow even _more _anxious.

However, a second later she tightened her grip on him and sighed softly in contentment, and with a sudden bout of realization Ash became conscious of just how foolish he was acting. May was one of his best friends in the entire world, not to mention one of the kindest, sweetest, most understanding people he knew. Even though he was planning to tell her he considered her to be much more than just a friend, right now, at this very moment, she was still his loving and caring best friend. Being so tense around her was ridiculous, and it certainly wouldn't help him get anything accomplished.

He inhaled deeply, the faint scent of her perfume filling his nose. She smelled lovely, a soothing combination of lavender and jasmine flowers. Immediately, his heartbeat began to return to a normal pace and the tension in his muscles gradually started to fade. Truthfully, pretty much everything about her presence was calming, especially now that he was able to think with a clear head, and holding her so closely in his arms had never felt as right as it did now. Who would have thought that a simple hug would have gave him the confidence boost he had been desperately searching for all day long?

"It's so good to see you," she said once they pulled apart. "It feels like it's been a lot longer than two months, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it really does," Ash agreed, finally finding his voice. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, so much!" May grinned joyfully at him. "But you're here now, and that just makes it worth the wait. Talking to each other over vid-phones just doesn't cut it, y'know? I'm so excited you were able to make it!"

He smiled back at her, feeling his self-esteem levels increase even more. "So am I! We've got a lot of catching up to do."

"We definitely do. Ah, Pikachu!" May exclaimed suddenly, looking behind Ash to where Pikachu was still sitting in the booth. "There you are!"

Squeaking happily, Pikachu jumped into the Coordinator's waiting embrace, nuzzling the side of her face welcomingly once she caught him. May laughed softly and held the yellow creature close.

"I missed you, too!" she said, gently stroking Pikachu's brightly-colored fur. "Have you been taking good care of Ash for me?"

Pikachu nodded eagerly in response. Ash, on the other hand, felt his cheeks grow warm at her words. Even if she only meant it in a platonic way, it was still nice to know that May cared for his wellbeing.

"I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting long," she said as she began sliding into the opposite side of the booth with Pikachu still cradled in her arms. "I had to stop at the store real quick to get some supplies."

Ash laughed as he sat back down as well. "Er, yeah, about that...we've been here quite a while. Twenty minutes or so."

May gaped at him. "_Twenty_ _minutes_? Oh, shoot, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize I was running late."

Ash shook his head. "No, it's not your fault, May! We just left a lot earlier than we planned to."

"Pika!" Pikachu added in agreement.

"We got a little over-excited knowing we'd be coming to see you," Ash continued, smiling despite the slight embarrassment he felt.

The shocked expression on May's face slowly faded away, replaced by a soft smile of her own. "You're too sweet, Ash." Glancing back down at Pikachu, she added, "And so are you, Pikachu. It makes me so happy that I have such awesome friends like the both of you."

_Whew, _Ash thought with relief. _Good. Compliments are good. Try another compliment. _

"You look great," he told her, changing the subject. He realized that flirting would _not_ be one of his strong points, but honesty was one of Ash's best policies. And the honest truth was that May looked amazing. "And, um...your hair! Your hair's different, isn't it?"

"Aw, thank you!" A faint pink blush dusted over her cheeks, and in the privacy of his mind Ash rejoiced at his little victory—he made her blush! "Yeah, I _have_ been trying something new with my hair lately, but I wasn't sure what anyone would think of it."

"It looks really nice," he remarked. "I think you should wear it like that more often."

"I definitely will now!" she answered happily. "If Ash Ketchum of all people was able to notice my slight change in hairstyle, then I should take that as a compliment."

Ash gave May a flat look. "_Ha_! Aren't you just hilarious? A true comedienne."

"Oh, please, Mr. Ketchum, tell me something I _don't _know," May replied in a mockingly formal tone, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

He snorted. "I'm not _that_ oblivious, you know. You've even said so yourself the last time we saw each other. So, I repeat: _Ha_!"

May giggled. "That's true, I did say that. I just like teasing you a little too much sometimes. But don't you start acting like you don't enjoy pushing my buttons every now and then. I know you better than that."

A guilty smile slowly overtook his expression. "True."

"You look really nice today, too, by the way," she said, veering back to their original topic. "I like your shirt."

Ash looked down to briefly examine his attire; he was wearing a long-sleeved, dark grey buttoned-down shirt, a nice pair of denim pants, and simple canvas sneakers. In his opinion, he was far less put-together than May was, but in all fairness he _had_ put a little more effort than usual in his outfit today when he had been getting ready earlier. Plus, he was glad that, much like he noticed the subtle change in her hairstyle, May was now noticing his slightly more formal choice of dress.

"Thanks," he replied, looking back up at her with a smile.

"And you changed your hair, too, didn't you?" she observed. "The more I look at you the shorter it looks. Did you get it trimmed or something?"

Ash ran his fingers through the shortened, though still unkempt and spiky locks of his dark hair. "Yeah, a few days ago I did. I wanted to look a little more presentable for today."

"I like it a lot. It makes you look so grown up and everything!" She sighed, shaking her head. "Sheesh, where did the time go? It feels like was only yesterday we were two eager kids on our way to Oldale Town together, and now we're back here in Hoenn with new hair and a lot less free time to see each other. It feels weird being an adult."

Chuckling, Ash nodded in agreement. "I know, it's so crazy. Then again, I'm often told I'm more of a kid _now_ than I was back then..."

"Who says that?" May asked, laughing.

"My mother."

May laughed again. "Well, maybe sometimes. But you still do have your moments of wisdom! I would have been a mess without you back then, when we were first starting our journey here. And you were right before, you definitely have become more aware of little details about others and life in general."

"Are you sure you aren't just saying that to make me feel better?" he joked.

"One hundred percent sure," she assured him with a grin.

He smiled back at her, his heart soaring within his chest.

"Isn't this restaurant so nice?" she asked a few moments later, looking around the section they were seated in with wonder. "It's not too fancy, but the atmosphere is so much nicer in here than some other places in town. And the food is amazing!" Pausing, she giggled. "Sorry, I'm rambling. But I'm just so excited that we're eating here today! I already know what I want, too. I've been meaning to try the lasagna for ages."

"Sometimes I wonder why you aren't in the food business," Ash commented, laughing. "Why don't you open up your own restaurant once you retire from Contests?"

May scoffed. "Because I can't cook to save my life. You should know that by now."

"Come on, your cooking isn't _that _bad," he said. "You can make soup and rice pretty well. I also really liked the breakfast sandwiches you made for us when I came here to visit you last time."

"Actually..." she began guiltily, "now's probably a good time to tell you I didn't make those."

"What?" he asked, surprised. "You didn't?"

"No way," she said. "You give me a lot more credit than I deserve, Ash. Before you woke up that morning, Pikachu and I ran to the café down the street and bought enough for everyone. I even told my mom I would do the dishes for her so that it would seem like I actually prepared the ingredients myself."

Ash snorted. "Did you seriously do that?" he asked incredulously.

May nodded, a sheepish grin on her face.

Ash started to laugh again. "You're ridiculous. Both of you are," he added, directing an accusing stare at Pikachu.

Playfully, Pikachu stuck his tongue out in Ash's direction.

Ash reciprocated the gesture, earning another laugh out of May. "I'm sure that was a lot more effort than it was worth," he said afterwards. "You could've just made me toast or something."

"Hey, it's the thought that counts, right?" May argued. "And by that I mean I _thoughtfully_ decided not to poison you with one of my own concoctions and bought you a proper meal instead. It's also another reason why I suggested we come here today, too."

"All right, fair enough," Ash conceded, still chuckling at her admission.

"And besides," she went on, "making you and your stomach happy is worth all the effort in the world and then some."

Ash felt like his heart could have stopped beating right then and there, but instead it suddenly began accelerating once more. He was under the impression that he would be doing most of the complimenting during their meeting today, but so far May had said quite a few flirtatious things herself. Of course, Ash realized that he very well might be misinterpreting her intentions entirely, but with each word she spoke he could feel his confidence levels steadily rising higher and higher and higher. She also had a real knack for boosting his ego, something he tried not to let get the best of him. Perhaps he really _did_ have a fair shot at confessing his feelings today after all.

"If it makes you feel any better," he began again, "I've only just perfected my cereal-making technique."

May laughed. "It does, actually! There may be hope for me yet."

"Unless you're so bad at cooking that there isn't any hope for either of us?" Ash mused. "I wouldn't doubt it if you stole my hope and then lost it with your own."

"I probably did," May agreed humorously, rolling her eyes. "Because I'm so mean like that."

"I wouldn't call you _'mean_,' exactly," Ash corrected. "Just a little shortsighted sometimes."

"How about, if I ever miraculously learn how to cook, I can teach you?" May suggested.

Ash pretended to consider her offer. "Hmm...I see the potential in that plan. Okay, I accept."

The pair's friendly banter continued on in a similar fashion for only a few more minutes, until the waitress finally came back around to their table, two sweetened iced teas in hand and ready to take their orders. After a polite conversation in which May asked the waitress a slew of very thorough questions ("What seasonings do you use in your sauce? Are the tomatoes in season? How long do you boil the noodles? Do you add salt to the water? What kind of cheese do you use?"), the Coordinator eagerly asked for a plate of the home-style lasagna she had been so patiently yearning for. Ash watched the whole exchange with an amused smile, and, inspired by May's antics, when it was his turn to order he decided that it was only fair that he ordered the same thing she did, with the request that the chef gave him a little extra tomato sauce on the side for Pikachu to sample on.

"You say that as if I'm going to let you have Pikachu back," May teased as the waitress took her leave from the table, reaching for her glass of iced tea and taking a sip through the straw. She then smiled down at the Pokemon in question. "What do you think, Pikachu? How would you like to sit next to me? And maybe compete in some Contests with me, too?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't complain," Ash replied, retrieving his own drink from the center of the table. "Though I can't say I'm so crazy about that idea."

Pikachu smiled reassuringly across the table at his Trainer. "Pika!"

May smiled as well. "We'll just have to compromise and travel somewhere all together again, won't we?"

"Now _that's_ a good plan," Ash said, grinning back at her.

"Oh, that reminds me. You said you were going to stay at the Pokemon Center here in town, right?" May asked.

Ash shook his head. "I was going to, but I ended up in a hotel instead. When I got to the Center Nurse Joy said all of the rooms were full."

"_What_? Ash, hotels are expensive!" she exclaimed, eyes widening in shock.

"It's all right, May, I can afford—"

"Why didn't you call me and let me know?" she interrupted. "I told you before that you should come over and stay with me and my family."

He smiled appreciatively. "I wouldn't want to impose—"

May interrupted yet again him with a scoff and a roll of her eyes. "Oh, please, don't even start with that excuse. You know you're welcome at the Gym. Plus, you always stay with us there whenever you came to visit."

_That was before I was in love with you_, he corrected her silently. If things didn't ultimately work out the way he was hoping they would, then staying with May and her family for the next few days would be beyond uncomfortable...

"I've already paid for the night," he said with a shrug.

"Well, tomorrow morning you're going to pack your things and come straight over, _mister_," she instructed. "I'm not going to let you stay in some expensive hotel when you could just stay with me for free at my house."

Ash chuckled. "There really is no use arguing with you, is there?"

"None whatsoever," she acquiesced. "You're staying with me and that's final. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Understood?"

"Yes,_ ma'am_," he replied, smirking at her while sincerely hoping that this confession would go well.

May beamed at him in return. "Good! I'm glad we're in agreement here."

"So am I," Ash replied. Lifting his glass up off the table, he continued, "Cheers to that?"

"You bet!" May raised her iced tea, their glasses meeting in the air with a gentle _clink_. "Cheers!"

Ash smiled at her. "Cheers!"

May took another small sip from her straw before setting her glass back down in front of her. Ash followed suit, sighing loudly with contentment.

"I'm really glad I'm here," he murmured, more to himself than to May, but he still spoke loud enough so that she could hear him.

"I'm really glad you're here, too," she said, stroking the top of Pikachu's head. "How about you, Pikachu? Did you miss being here in Petalburg City?"

Pikachu nodded enthusiastically under her touch. "Chu!"

Ash smiled at their interaction, delighted that two of his closest companions were able to get along so well. May and Pikachu had developed quite the friendship of their own during their initial travels together, and it warmed his heart to see the two of them acting like they were right now. "We could be anywhere in the world right now, May. I'm just glad that I get to see you again, and I'm sure the same could be said for Pikachu."

May looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "Have I told you how much I missed you yet?"

"I think so," Ash replied, his heartbeat picking up speed at her words. "But I wouldn't mind hearing it again."

She laughed. "Honestly, I don't think I tell you enough how glad I am to have you in my life. You're such a wonderful friend to me, and whenever we get together like this I remember just how much I miss you when we're apart. Thanks for coming to visit me, Ash. It really means a lot to me that you're here."

"Of course, May," he said. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Positive," he said with a nod. "Are _you _sure that you really want me here?"

May grinned and nodded back at him. "Definitely."

It hit him then, like a flash of lightning striking him down from the sky. He knew he had to tell her, right now, at this very moment.

He had to tell her that he loved her.

"Um...May?" Ash began. "We...we should talk."

May regarded him with a look of confusion. "...Oh?"

Ash nodded slowly as he gathered his courage, mentally preparing himself for the task he was about to undertake. This would be more difficult than any battle he had ever engaged in thus far, more taxing than any other challenge he had ever faced in his young life, but he was finally ready.

"Is everything alright?" May asked, noticing his internal struggle.

"Yeah! Everything's fine," he assured her. "It's just...well..."

Ash took another moment to hurriedly go over the speech he'd spent the last several days planning in his head. He was confident now that he knew exactly what he wanted to say...all he had to do was actually open his mouth and _say it_.

"Um...are you sure?" she pressed. She tilted her head, observing him curiously. "You seem a little tense."

"I'm not tense, I'm just...I mean, I..." He paused and sighed deeply. "May, I—"

"Here's your food!"

Ash froze, watching in mortified silence as their waitress appeared before their table and then carefully set two plates of steaming hot lasagna down in front of them.

..._Why me?_ he thought.

"Oh, goody!" May exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. "I was just beginning to wonder when our food would be here!"

Ash, still enveloped within a daze of shock, remained silent.

The waitress smiled. "Is there anything else I can get the two of you while I'm here?"

May hummed thoughtfully. "I think I'm all set for now, thank you. What about you, Ash?"

Ash rigidly shook his head in response. "I'm...fine."

"Enjoy your meal, then!" the waitress finished, before stepping back and walking away from the table.

"Ah! This looks so delicious!" May said delightedly, eagerly reaching for her silverware. "I'm really not sure if I can wait another second for it to cool down. I'll probably burn my mouth at some point, but to be honest I don't think I care all that much. I think it'd be worth it."

Ash tried to laugh, but it came out sounding forced. "Right...me, too."

Noticing Ash's change in behavior, Pikachu hopped across the table and took his original place beside his Trainer. He gave Ash a gentle nudge, voicing his concern with a hushed squeak.

Ash glanced down at his yellow friend. "I'm fine," he mouthed.

Not convinced, Pikachu nudged Ash again. "Pika!" he whispered fiercely, trying his hardest to restore the confidence that had evaporated from his Trainer moments ago.

Ash briefly shifted his gaze over to May, watching her as she cut into her meal like a young child enamored with her favorite toy. His heartbeat once again began to pick up speed, echoing like a drum in his ears. It was amazing; even watching her eat made him fall head over heels for her. It just went to prove that everything about her made him go completely crazy in the best sense of the word. He really couldn't hold back. Nothing, not his own nerves or a waitress with a penchant for unexpectedly appearing at all the wrong times, would stop him now.

Ash nodded in response to Pikachu with newfound resolve. With a deep breath, he said, "May, I...I love you."

May's fork promptly fell from her fingers and clattered across the table.

"_W-What_?"

"I love you," he repeated more confidently.

A brilliant, crimson blush quickly spread across her cheeks. "You...you _love_ me?"

"I do," he confirmed, trying his hardest to ignore the feeling of his heart pounding against his ribcage as May stared at him in total shock.

"Oh...oh my gosh," she whispered frantically as Ash's words began to sink in. "Oh my gosh, Ash, do you really mean that in the way that I think you do?"

"Of course I do," he replied without hesitation. Frowning slightly, he asked, "Why? Do you...?"

He let the question hang in the air unfinished, far too anxious to say the words out loud.

_Do you not love me back?_

May swallowed. "I..."

Looking down, Ash continued, "If you don't feel the same way, then it's okay. I just—"

"I do!" she cut him off, her voice squeaking.

His head immediately shot back up. "You do?"

May nodded vigorously. "Yes! I do! I mean...I...I love you, too, Ash."

Ash's pulse quickened.

"I just didn't expect you to say it so suddenly, right here, right now, while we're eating lasagna. I mean, I just can't believe it, I had no idea that all along that you..." a wide smile suddenly broke out onto her face, "that...that you felt the same way about me that I felt about you."

His face lit up. "Really? So, you mean...you love me, too?"

"I do," she said. "I really, _really_ do."

Ash finally smiled back at her, feeling relief wash over him like a tidal wave.

_Yes!_

Beside him, Pikachu squeaked happily, little arms rising up in triumph. "Pikachu!"

"When?" she asked him, laughing softly at Pikachu's antics. "I mean, when did you realize that you...?"

"Two months ago, the last time we saw each other when you came to visit me in Pallet Town," he replied. Feeling his cheeks grow warm, he added, "I've liked you a lot longer, though. For almost a year now."

May felt her heart flutter. "Oh, Ash, that's so sweet," she said breathlessly. "But...if that's the case, then how come you never said anything before now?"

He shrugged. "I don't know...it just never really felt like the right time, I guess. I couldn't even grasp the fact I was falling for you at first. But when I did I was worried that if I'd suddenly confessed my feelings to you out of nowhere then nothing between us would be able to work out because of our schedules, since we've been mostly apart for such a long time now. And whenever we do get to see each other it's only for a few days at a time."

May nodded slowly in understanding. "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense."

"But two months ago, I realized I just couldn't wait anymore. Everything sort of...clicked," he explained, remembering his original speech he planned. "I missed you so much, more than ever before. And I thought to myself, even if things between us _don't_ work out anytime soon, I just couldn't go another day keeping all of these feelings inside. I didn't want to go another second without telling you how much I cared about you, how important you are to me, how amazing I think you are. Do you know that, May? That you're amazing? Because that's all I can ever think about lately. That's why as soon as I got some free time I decided to come here and do this—take you to your favorite restaurant, buy you dinner, and finally tell you I loved you. I've been planning this ever since."

The blush on her face deepened in color. "Oh, Ash..."

"So, what about you?" he asked. "When did you realize?"

"Oh, jeez...um, about three years ago, actually," she admitted shyly.

He blinked. "Seriously? That long?"

May nodded.

"But then...if you...why didn't _you _say anything?" he questioned.

"Well, because I wanted to see if you'd say anything first, silly!" she retorted. "I definitely did think about telling you how I felt several times, but every time that would happen I always decided I'd rather wait and see if, by some chance you felt the same way, _you_ would confess to _me_. And, honestly...this was worth the wait."

He smiled at her. "I feel a little stupid now that I didn't realize it."

May shrugged. "Well, it's not like I was obvious about it or anything. I didn't expect you to pick up on any of the hints I gave you...you _do_ have a tendency to be alittle romantically-impaired."

He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You aren't the first person to tell me that, and you definitely won't be the last."

The Coordinator laughed softly. "But you were able to plan such a wonderful date for us today, and on top of that you told me that you loved me, so, like I said, it was worth the wait. I'd say that's a lot of progress on your end, too."

"Believe me, it took a while," he admitted.

"Then that just makes it extra special," she said. "I can see how much effort you put into this now. Thank you for doing that for me, Ash."

"Of course," he replied. "You're one of the most special people in my life, May. I'd do anything for you. You don't have to thank me for loving you."

May thought her cheeks couldn't possibly get any hotter, yet as the words left his mouth they did. "Ash, I'm going to go up in flames if you keep saying things like that!"

Ash laughed at her. "You'll just have to get used to that."

May rolled her eyes in return, but couldn't fight back yet another smile. "I guess I can't complain too much, can I?"

"Nope. But being with me might not always be that easy, actually," he said in afterthought, looking directly into her eyes as if he was challenging her. "I mean, you know me better than anyone else. You know I'm nowhere near ready to settle down in one place. I still want to see as much of the world as I possibly can. I still want to follow my dream of becoming a Pokemon Master. There are still so many battles to be had with so many other talented trainers out there, and I want to work hard and win all of them. I—"

May silenced him by shoving a forkful of his still steaming lasagna into his mouth, before smiling cheekily at him. "I think I'll manage."

Ash sputtered as gracefully as he could manage while he fought not to choke.

"You do realize that you weren't only describing yourself just now, right?" she went on. "There are a lot of things _I_ want to do in my life, too. I still have so many goals I want to accomplish, Contests I want to compete in and Coordinators I want to go up against, places I want to travel to, Pokemon I want to catch—all of that and so much more. You and I have always been so much alike in that way, constantly on the move in search of our next big journey. Why shouldn't we share that journey with each other?"

Still chewing, Ash merely nodded his agreement.

May's smile broadened. "So, are you sure that _you_ still want to be with _me_?"

Ash nodded and finally swallowed his food. "I want to be with you more than anything," he told her resolutely.

May felt her heart flutter for the second time. "Really?"

"Really."

"You swear?" she pressed.

"I swear."

"Times infinity?"

"Times infinity and seven," Ash retorted with a confident smirk.

"In that case, we'll do whatever we can to make this work between us, right?"

"Whatever it takes, I'm in it for the long run," he promised.

"The Grand Festival here in Hoenn is two months from now," she informed him. "Do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"I don't see why not," he replied. "I was planning on coming to cheer you on anyway."

She smiled, reaching across the table and lacing her fingers through his. "Then once it's over, I can travel back to Johto with you? And we can finally begin our new journey together?"

He smiled back at her as he gently squeezed her hand. "I'd like that."

* * *

**A/N: **Today's oneshot is brought to you buy a quick punctuation lesson!

Always remember to put commas in front of people's names when addressing them, folks. It might not seem like such a big deal, but it actually can make a very big difference and save someone's life. For example, "Let's eat, Grandma!" sounds MUCH better than "Let's eat Grandma!" I don't think our grandmothers would appreciate us eating them...nor do I think any of us would actually want to dine on our grandmothers. At least, I hope not.


End file.
